Dragon Ball GA - Game of Ages
by EevaaFandom
Summary: Several months after the great fight against Majin-Bu, the Earth's population seems to live a harmonious time of peace. But, withe the return of Mirai Trunks, a new danger hangs overwhelmingly on the lives of our heroes and not only them.. A particular request from him may upsetting forever the course of events. Will the fighters manage to cope with a catastrophe apparently silent?
1. Chapter 1 - Back to the past

**Preamble**

 _Hi everyone! I'm Eevaa and I'm Italian. I write and post fanfictions (especially DB ones) since many years and, after a very long time, I decided to post one of my favourite stories on this site, too. It's a story I began to write five years ago and that this year I finally ended. On Italian sites it's enjoyed very much._

 _Since I'm not very good at English I decided to ask to someone more competent and, luckily, I met Fandoms_Are_Life - who I thank with all my heart -, that accepted to translate the story for me._  
 _Check her page on EFP Fanfiction website : Fandoms_Are_Life_

 _I hope you'll enjoy my (and her) work. The story is set soon after the last great fight against Majin Bu and it develops in a totally alternative manner compared to Super, at least for the era of the first chapter. Era? Yes, because this story isn't set in a single time span._

 _Are you curious? Then give a peek :) enjoy the reading!_

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Back to the past**

Several months had passed since the fight with Majin Bu, months of delicious stillness. On Earth hovered a strange and harmonious sense of peace; the quietness and the serenity were palpable and observable in the looseness with which every fighter of the Z team faced their own days.  
Nobody had ever completely stopped training, but there wasn't obsession, hurry and fear in improving themselves at all.  
Little Trunks was becoming always more grown-up and similar to his father, the proud prince of Saiyans. After the thousand of suffered adventures, the sacrifice accomplished by Vegeta in order to save the Earth and the great fight against Majin Bu, their relationship had clearly become much narrower and much more intimate, despite the taciturn fighter was still struggling to prove it.  
Vegeta had never been an affectionate father. He had never been either a present husband but his change, since he came on planet Earth, was more or less exemplary and the true authors of this were Bulma and Trunks. Both appreciated even the smallest gesture, the most tiring sketched smile or even a simple attention from the gruff prince and they made it a great were a strange but incredibly united family, all the past adventures had fortified their bond. Bulma had spent her days by designing new inventions, while Vegeta had never been taken away from his daily training. Even the little boy with lilac hair never lost time and strongly enjoyed his moments of training passed along with Vegeta and the friendly fights with the younger friend, Goten.

It was a warm July afternoon when, after a long series of backbreaking fights, father and son gathered in the kitchen to plunder the fridge, under Bulma's shocked eyes. Not that this event was an exception, obviously.  
«You'll never change, you Saiyans. Is it possible that you're always hungry? The thing that surprises me the most is that you never get fat!» declared the blue-haired woman, leaning with arms folded at the kitchen's marble shelf.  
Years seemed to never be passed for her, despite she was now a mature woman at the registry office. Physically she had remained the same little girl that many years ago had sailed to Namek, and right in that place she had met her prince for the first time.  
«We simply have a different metabolism compared to you terrestrial. We don't get fat, we put muscle mass because of the training. By the way, you should also do it, I see you swollen» stated the prince swallowing a pie of rice, not knowing that, by giving that verdict, he had just decreed the end of that pacific became red like a pepper, tightening rabidly her fists and sketching a neurosis smile. "The calm before the storm", so Vegeta defined it every time the wife showed that quiet and silent pre-reaction. Needless to say that the fury of the woman wouldn't took long to explode and rampage like a tornado against the prince, whom ignored her rough, maintaining a perfectly calm and apparent indifference.  
«You're an ape! A very rude and exasperating gorilla!» continued to cry the woman under the son's amused eyes « It's useless for you to pretend to ignore me! I know very well how to make you pay, primitive breed! I'll make you…»  
The piercing cries of the blue-haired woman were interrupted by a very strong roar coming from outside that made all the family wince in the kitchen.  
«What was that, mum?» asked little Trunks, putting himself in defence.  
«Let's go to see what happened!» answered Bulma, coming out quickly followed by the two Saiyans, whom had to postpone their plentiful dinner grudgingly.  
As soon as the automatic door of the big round house opened, the scene that appeared to the family's eyes was all but dangerous. Both Bulma and Vegeta understood in less than a moment what was happening and, ceasing to be alarmed, they breathed a sigh of relief.  
«He came back!»

You could see a little further a huge yellow and green machine, with four mechanical legs and a semi-transparent dome on the top of it, the number "1" drew in green on one of the motors and a "C" circled in black on the side.  
«Who came back?» asked little Trunks, pulling with a hand the prince's suit, who didn't answer but instead crossed his arms «Dad? Dad? Who came back? Huh? Dad?»  
«Be quiet for a moment, snotty kid! And stop pulling me!» yelled Vegeta warning the son, who took on the typical angry expression of his father. In the same instant the nacelle's dome opened up, showing to the married couple exactly what they were expecting to see.  
A tall and muscled boy with wisteria hair and big blue eyes came out from the time machine smiling radiantly, immediately grabbed by the blue-haired woman, who hugged him with tears in her eyes.  
«Hi, mum!» the boy whispered gently, answering to the warm embrace of the mother, or better, of his mother in another time.  
Little Trunks widened his eyes, shocked, starting to tremble like a leaf. The stranger resembled him, he called his mother "mum". A thousand of doubts and questions crept in the mind of the little Saiyan, who found the courage to speak only after swallowing soundly.  
«How do you mean "mum"? Are you my brother?» demanded Trunks, then attacking himself again to the father's suit, who snapped impatiently.  
The blue-haired woman approached the little boy, kneeling to look him in the eyes, then explaining all the story, with the calm and patience with which only a mother could have had.  
At every minimum detail of the story, to the little Saiyan lighted the eyes at the mere thought of how he would become. He would become one of the most extraordinary fighters of the Universe, with the substantial difference that he shouldn't deal with all the difficulties and the pain of the future boy. It took several minutes before the thirst of curiosity of little Trunks filled up, but it took even more before the child's sparkling and engaging enthusiasm subsided.  
«Cool! So you are me when I grow up!» screamed the child, fascinated and frantic.  
«Yeah! I'm me… I mean, I'm you… I mean… God, it's so difficult!» major Trunks sighed, taking a hand behind his neck, starting to laugh for few seconds, then becoming incredibly more serious, watching the man with the frowned look standing beside him, who had remained silent for all the duration of the story.  
«Hi, dad»  
«I don't see you grown up, you didn't train very much these years» noticed the man with pointed black hair, keeping eye contact whit his future's son.  
«Actually not: after years of having to fight to survive I relaxed. But I want to resume training soon and this is one of the reasons because I'm here» explained the future's boy with eyes lit up by a strange light.  
«Will you train with us? So cool! So cool!» exclaimed the child, starting to gambol around the major one, who smiled but said no with his head, switching off just for a moment the enthusiasm of the child.  
The boy's blue eyes closed for an instant, like he was searching inside himself the way to start a rather difficult speech. Vegeta e Bulma had certainly noticed that, in fact they fired to each other a questioning glance without let leek to the younger son their bewilderment.  
«To be honest I could also stay a bit to train, but this is not the reason why I came back here»  
«And what would it be? Explain yourself better, darling» the mother asked gently, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder, as for comfort and calm him in order to make him feel comfortable.  
«The request I'm about to expose you is not simple, but I need your help» the wisteria-haired boy interrupted for a second before continuing, breathing with the nose as to inhale a good dose of courage mixed with oxygen «and you have to know that my decision could have… unpredictable consequences»


	2. Chapter 2 - An incautious request

**Chapter 2: An incautious request**

The black eyes of the Saiyan's prince obscured even more, becoming almost two slots. He was more curious regarding the request his son was about to expose than to the unpredictable and maybe dangerous consequences he had just mentioned. The courage, but most of all the unconsciousness of the prince, never let him think too much about the unexpected that his actions could have involved.  
Vegeta was the Saiyan's prince, any catastrophe could have happened he was sure he could face it; he loved the risk and, mostly, he was deeply fascinated by the adrenaline discharge deriving from the imminent danger.  
«Let's go inside» the future boy murmured with suspicious air «no one, and I mean no one, will ever become aware of what I'm about to ask you»  
Bulma raised one eyebrow, suspicious and visibly distressed, accompanying then the son inside the big round house until the white sofa.

All the three members of the current era's family were impatient to hear the request of the young man; the wait and the silence were dense of suspense but nobody had the courage to force the boy since when, impatiently and nervous, the Saiyan's prince broke that surreal climate.  
«Speak» Vegeta summoned crossing his arms, imitated by his younger son, who couldn't wait to know what his older self was about to say.  
The purple-haired boy bit his lower lip and, nervous, cleared his voice before starting to talk.  
«As you already know, my era is not even remotely comparable to yours, after the advent of the androids the history became completely different»  
«To be honest I knew that only today!» little Trunks interrupted, promptly silenced in a little way by his parents, who forced him to remain silent if he didn't want to say goodbye to his weekly pocket money.  
«As I was saying… my world is completely different from yours. I never knew my father, all the people you have by your side in my universe are dead. They're all dead: Goku, Krillin, Tenshinhan, Yamcha, Gohan and everyone else. Even you, dad. Androids had exterminated everyone, even Kami; because of this I couldn't bring to life anyone, the dragon balls became stones after the death of the Namekian. Now my world isn't still in danger, I managed to defeat the androids and Cell alone, all thanks to the trainings I faced in this dimension. Everything has returned to normal, the Earth is safe and the cities have been rebuilt. Me and my mother finally manage to live in peace, without dangers and concerns, but…»  
Trunks interrupted his speech swallowing, the glossy eyes of the boy revealed all his feelings, affecting his mother, whom wiped away the tears with the back of her hand.  
«But?» Vegeta asked impatiently, brusquely inviting the son to move on with the speech without caring about the severe glare of the wife, who evidently scolded the man for his lack of touch and sensitivity.  
«But I see it, my mother is unhappy and I am too. I miss all of them, I miss having a normal life and it hurts me to see my mother alone. She suffers, I hear her crying on nights»  
Even the great Saiyan's prince disbanded a little the frowning look, detaching it from the one of the elder son to not show an albeit minimal grain of emotion. After all the valorous warrior, despite the change, was never a man of sentimentality and whining. Those few times he let his tears fall he felt irreparably repentant, he felt stupid and powerless and he would never permit again that that thing re-happened.  
«Come to live here! Both of you!» little Trunks screamed turning to the elder one, with the enthusiasm and the lightheartedness that only a child could have.  
«I fear that's impossible. You see, here there's already a Bulma for Vegeta» the boy whispered, softened by the naivety of his little copy.  
Vegeta blushed imperceptibly under the gaze of the presents, composing himself after few seconds. The thought only to have two Bulma around him amused him but made him shiver immediately after; having one wife had shown itself very challenging, having two of them would've been a total disaster.  
«So? What can we do for you?» Bulma demanded sipping a glass of water, then putting it on the small glass table.  
The boy bit again his lip, starting to rub a strip of the shirt between his fingers. Despite the thermostat was pointed at the minimum, elder Trunks started to miss the air and he visibly began to sweat. He was worried, mortified, ashamed.  
«Then? Before evening I'd like to go back eating!» the prince declared always more impatient, admonished again by his wife, to confirm the fact that only one Bulma would be enough for the proud prince.  
What their ears heard a few instants later made them forget every ridiculous or little realistic thought of an era with two Bulma.  
«I'm asking you if I can borrow your dragon balls»

A spine-chilling silence lowered on the enormous white room of the Capsule Corporation, which remained perfectly silent for many seconds, assuming the same sonorities as the Room of the Spirit and Time.  
Trunks wanted to disappear, to be swallowed by the underworld kingdom because of the guilt and the shame, he wanted to avoid a thing like that.  
«What's the problem? I'll help you to find them!»  
«Trunks, stop to meddle on issues bigger than you!» his mother rebuked him severely, then continuing to speak «Trunks… I mean, older Trunks. Didn't you say that…»  
«Yes, I know» the boy interrupted her, restless «it's dangerous to modify the course of events, very dangerous. But it's a risk I'm prepared to face for my mother and for myself. I wanna have the possibility to live in an era similar to yours. I know that's not possible to recover lost time but I want to know my father, I want to see my friends again. Thing that I never had the possibility to do!  
The young man clenched his fists, angry, almost frustrated. Even little Trunks, who was always happy and positive, couldn't say a thing in front of a so sad reality. It would've touched even him, if there hadn't been the possibility to change the events. It would've been the exactly same thing if the boy from the future wouldn't came to modify the time.  
«I don't know, Trunks, are you sure they work even in your era?» Bulma asked, taking between her white hands the rough and marked ones of the son, of that boy who faced the worst situations, who always had to fight for his and his mother's survival.  
«I don't know, but I wanna make an attempt. I'd take the balls back to you as soon as I can, I promise. If they won't work I'll take them back immediately, otherwise once it's passed the time it takes so they can get back to work after the wish, I'll go to search them and I'll take them back here»

Bulma took a hand under her chin, starting to think about that somewhat risky and particular proposal. Maybe because the scientist was brave and reckless like her husband, or maybe because it regarded the future of her beloved son, it took her a little while to make a decision.  
«For me it's okay. Vegeta, what do you think?» the short blue-haired woman demanded to her husband, who crossed his arms looking out the window.  
They anxiously waited the judgement of the prince for many seconds, when he finally decided to speak.  
«The balls of dragon Shenlong are terrestrial, I have no right to make choices. But if I'd have it, it would be okay. If I remember well you saved my life, in this era. It's the moment to return the favour»  
On the faces of all the presents appeared complacent smiles. No one had ever doubted the Saiyan's prince's wisdom, but they could've never expected such a gratification. Bulma, touched, took her husband's hand between hers in sign of thanksgiving, but the proud prince sidestepped her, blushing visibly: he'd never loved mawkisness in public.  
«Thank you, dad» Trunks murmured looking his father in the eyes, and the latter whispered an imperceptible "tsk", turning again his gaze to the window.  
«Perfect! Now we just have to search the dragon balls!» little Trunks shouted, hovering on the big sofa, exalted and excited to be able to help himself.


	3. Chapter 3 - Finding the seven balls

**CHAPTER 3 - FINDING THE SEVEN BALLS**

After having convinced his parents to collaborate, older Trunks immediately left in disguise together with the little one to search the seven Dragon Balls. It took them less than twenty-four hours to gather them all, thanks to the extraordinary flying ability of both the fighters. But, during that day, the prince and his consort were really worried that someone could discover the misdeed.  
«I hope that nobody will know it. Should we trust our son? The little one, I mean» the woman asked, laid on the bed next to her husband. Both of them didn't manage to sleep quiet during that night of research and the dawn lights which penetrated from the blinds made the attempt to close the eyes difficult.  
«Obviously not. I bet that he'll let escape something when he'll talk with the little monster of Kakaroth. But that wouldn't be a big deal, the most important thing is that higher entities as King Kai and company will know nothing about it» the prince answered with his hands behind the nape, continuing to stare at the white ceiling. When he was alone with his wife, in fact, he wasn't just more relaxed and composed, but also less taciturn. Only her had the great privilege to live everyday moments with that surly Saiyan, only that woman had the pleasure to chat airily with him.  
«How could them come to know it?» the blue-haired woman asked again, putting herself on a side to look at her husband. His features, despite being hard, were so perfect that they took the breath away from her every time she could scrutinize him carefully.  
«Straight line: from Trunks to Goten, from Goten to Gohan, from Gohan to green-face, from green-face to the other green-face whose now Kami, from Kami to King Kai. And from there start troubles» Vegeta explained promptly, drawing with a finger an imaginary vertical line, taking a sarcastic smile «luckily that idiot of Kakaroth is so engaged on sitting in the wild and saving pterodactyls that he doesn't notice anything that happens»  
«It could be enough to say to our son that's very important that neither Goten have to know anything and the game is done»  
The prince turned on a side to the wife with sceptical air, starting to talk with an ironic tone and sketching an amused smile, one of the rarest.  
«Yeah, just like when we talked to him about the marriage. Nobody had to know anything and that day even that fat of Yajirobei was in front of the town hall»  
The blue-haired woman laughed complacently, pushing him lightly with the hand. Vegeta pretended to let himself be hit, turning back to a supine position maintaining a severe expression, letting then the wife ride him.  
«Now it's not the moment to think about it… we can do that later, don't you think so?»  
Vegeta blushed, nodding imperceptibly letting her approach his face. Becoming "a terrestrial" had carried many advantages.

Roughly towards noon the two Trunks landed on the Capsule Corporation's garden, triumphant and happy about the work. The seven dragon balls were safe in the rucksack of the boy, who showed it at his parents.  
«Were we good, mum?» trilled the young boy never stopping to jump even for a second.  
«So fast!»  
«The little one flies as fast as me, I never had to stop and wait for him! A real prodigy!» the older boy stated to his parents supported at the table of the very modern and clean kitchen.  
«I can well see. I trained him» the prince answered with that veil of pride that he never could show completely, but that everyone could comprehend perfectly.

Trunks smiled raising his eyes to the sky, he couldn't wait to know the one who was his real father.  
«Who knows what my father will say when he'll see me so grown up, so strong. I really hope I'll have the opportunity to train together with him» the boy declared, tightening his fists for the emotion.  
«Hey! You said you would've trained with us! Will you stay today afternoon?» the little boy demanded yanking the older one by the grey suit.  
The latter smiled, messing the lilac hair of the young boy, so similar to his. He thought about it for some minutes, then he looked at the father waiting for his answer.  
«Yeah, I'm not in a hurry. I'll leave this evening!»  
That answer made so happy both the child and the parents, who were happy (even Vegeta, in his own way) to be able to accommodate the future's son for a day.  
«But you surely won't leave before having dinner with us! I'll prepare you a slap-up meal! I'm a scientist, but my mother taught me to cook perfectly!»  
«Tsk, if I were you I would decline the invitation »the prince commented, heading then towards the gravitational room, accompanied by a list of insults from the wife, rather raving about the poor confidence and the little respect of the partner.

After an intense afternoon of training and an excellent dinner (which nobody ever discovered had been ordered at the restaurant just for don't risk to make bad impressions with the son and give in to Vegeta), future Trunks walked towards the garden, opening up the capsule which contained the time nacelle. The child seemed rather sad for the fact that older Trunks was about to leave.  
«Is it true that you'll come back to us soon?» he demanded pulling up with the nose, scolded by the father because of his behaviour defined that one of a "brat" and/or "sissy".  
«Promised! And then I have to take back the balls to you as soon as possible!» the boy winked, messing again the hair of himself in miniature.  
«Good luck, dear. I hope that everything will go well!» the mother said trying to fight the emotion, hugging then the older son tightening the strongest she could.  
«Thanks mum, I hope so too» he murmured in Bulma's ear, giving her a kiss on the cheek.  
With a proud and fierce look he turned to his father with a half smile, which was reacquired by Vegeta whom raised two fingers just like the last time, watching the boy get on board of the machine and re-close the doom, ready to put the rucksack with the balls in the container next to the seat.  
«See you soon, thanks again for everything!» Trunks shouted just before the glass closed completely.  
«Hi Trunks! Hiiii!» the little boy answered screaming and shaking his hands in the air, watching the nacelle suddenly disappear in the dark of the night.  
«Hope that nothing bad happens…» Bulma whispered between herself and herself, leaving the innocent voice of his son interrupt her thoughts, while the latter formulated a completely unexpected request that left breathless his parents.  
«Mum, dad! I want a baby brother»

The time machine stopped backing the big metal tentacles on the wet ground of the big round house. It had rained, it was autumn in the era from which he left at the time of the past.  
The dark of the night wrapped Trunks, who didn't immediately open the doom of the nacelle, waiting that all commands switched off. He looked out with nostalgic air, noting that the kitchen's light was still on. Probably his mother was finishing crafts or she was preparing herself a chamomile so she could sleep.  
But his look fell on the blue rucksack on his side, the rucksack which contained the seven dragon balls. His heart started to beat faster, like a jackhammer in his chest.  
It was the moment of the truth, it was the moment to open that rucksack. And if the balls had become simple stones? Luckily he didn't even told his mother the real motivation of his departure, not creating her false hopes, but he had fed them on himself. What would've been his destiny?  
With a superhuman effort he took the rucksack putting it on his knees, breathing faster. The sound of the zip which was opened seemed to pierce his tympani, putting him in an even more anxious state.  
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.  
«Go on» he told himself in a low voice opening fast the rucksack, letting then fall a glance inside.


	4. Chapter 4 - A difficult choice

**CHAPTER 4 - A DIFFICULT CHOICE**

His eyes seemed to be frozen when he watched the content of that very old and full rucksack. Trunks' heart suddenly missed a beat, and he close his eyes and opened them immediately afterwards to assure himself he saw well.  
Supported one over the other, the dragon balls were perfectly whole, lit by a golden light and bright as he saw them the last time before he left.  
He suddenly felt a heat's blaze invade all his body, like an electric shock, like an Oriental wind. He would've wanted to rejoice, exult, scream and dance, but everything he managed to do was watching again at the lit window.  
«Mum, I did this for you» he murmured pressing the machine's button that made the glass doom open. With slow and determined steps the Saiyan approached the house's doorway, breathing heavily before entering.  
The warmth of the living room seemed to invade his heart, just as the loving voice of his mother.  
«Dear! Are you already back from your weekend in mountain?» the long blue-haired woman asked. She was very beautiful, just like the woman he left short ago in the other dimension. The time and the thousand displeasures and concerns didn't sign almost at all the perfect and still youthful face of his mother.  
He smiled, hugging her warmly. He really loved very much that woman who gave him life and who stood beside him in so dramatic and scary moments: Bulma was a brave woman. She could've let herself go by the terrible events but she didn't, she had been strong for both of them and she had grown him up and educated him in the best way, Trunks would always be grateful for this and he couldn't wait to give her the life she should've had.  
«Yes, mum. I'm here» the boy whispered softly, taking her hands in his «let's go sit down»  
The woman raised an eyebrow, suspicious by the bizarre behaviour and mostly by the bright look of her son, following him on the sofa next to where she had put a teapot containing some chamomile shortly before.  
«Drink it, it's still hot. I made a lot of it!» the woman suggested pouring a cup to the boy, whom willingly accepted the relaxing drink. He didn't speak immediately: he looked to his mother, thinking about how he could tell her what he had just done. The warmth that the porcelain's cup emanated was nothing in comparison to the hope's ardour that he felt in his heart.  
«Are you sure everything is okay, dear? You seem weird!» Bulma demanded sipping from her cup. The boy smiled while his heart was beating faster.  
«Sure, mum. Everything is alright. Well, to be honest I have a surprise for you»  
The woman smiled, widening her eyes for the emotion. She loved surprises, mostly in a so empty period of her life.  
«A surprise? What is it about?»  
«Promise me you'll keep calm, you won't get angry nor pass out»  
«Will I become a granny?!» the woman asked screaming and approaching her face to the boy's one, whose cheeks blushed powerfully, as he got away from his mother and moved his arms.  
«What comes to your mind, mum! No! This is not at all about this!»  
The woman calmed herself, placing the big cup on the wood's table next to the sofa. She was a bit let down, but she wasn't already ready to be called granny, maybe.  
«But it's even more shocking. Prepare yourself!» the boy suggested taking in his arms the blue rucksack he had previously put at his feet «when you'll open this rucksack maybe a thousand thoughts, doubts and perplexities will come to your mind. But don't worry, I promise everything will be fine»  
«You scare me, Trunks» his mother admitted, taking the rucksack her son was giving her with trembling hands. She didn't felt the content nor she tried to imagine what there was in. She just observed the son with dubious and insure air.  
«What do you expect? Open it!» the son incited with his heart which was beating faster than ever.  
Once again the noise of the zip penetrated the Saiyan till the bones, and he breathed heavily.  
She was opening it. She opened it. She watched in it. She passed out.

«Mum? Mum! Wake up, mum!» the boy called loudly, slapping gently the blue-haired woman laying with her legs raised on the sofa.  
She slowly managed to regain consciousness and open her eyes; some small sweat's droplets detached themselves from the pale forehead.  
«You okay?» Trunks asked doing her air with a gossip magazine.  
«I… I think y… yes» the mother murmured with a little voice, watching with her big light blue eyes the ones of the same colour of the son.  
A spine-chilling silence fell on the big room, only the clock's noise signed the flow of time and, at every stroke, the atmosphere seemed more tense.  
«Trunks… but what… how did it come to your mind?» his mother finally demanded sitting herself down slowly, helped by the always more nervous son.  
«I always desired to do it, but I never found the courage. Now I'm willing to face the consequences of my actions»  
«It could be dangerous, catastrophes may succeed. You shouldn't modify the course of history» Bulma said sipping what remained of the chamomile she left on the table shortly before, as to rehydrate by the scorching heat that image left on her mouth.  
The dragon balls, positioned in a way that made them touch each other, blazed intermittently in the semi-opened blue rucksack that was laying at sofa's feet, waiting to be used. Bulma couldn't hold back her own glare from alight on them, opening more her eyes at every sparkle.  
«I know. I know it for sure. But I want to risk, I'll face anything! I already faced every danger but now I want to bring things as they were before. I want to have the possibility to know my father, to make you meet him again, to give you that life back»  
Bulma trembled, as if a high voltage electric shock just passed through her body. Hearing about Vegeta upset her, she never imagined she could see him again. She always desired it, in her dreams, but she never hoped it could become possible.  
«I don't know if I'm ready» the woman admitted tormenting her hands, which were taken by the rough and warm ones of the son.  
«Take your time to think tonight» said this, he went up to his bedroom, leaving his mother on the sofa next to the balls.  
He never put her in front of a so difficult decision and Trunks knew this, he felt guilty, but he was conscious that the best thing to do at the moment was leaving her time to think about this alone.  
Laying on the bed, the young wisteria-haired Saiyan, exhausted, fell asleep, as if those days of intense distress crumbled quickly all his strengths.  
He dreamed of his father, he dreamed about the wonderful moments he could spend together with him, he dreamed of that family of the past and about the immense luck he managed to let them have. He knew that it was all thanks to him: if he didn't undertook the journey at that time, even their destiny would've been the same as him. He dreamed of little Trunks, he dreamed about a hypothetical marriage between his parents. Beautiful dreams, dreams that didn't foretell at all something disastrous.

Morning came like a breath of fresh air in Trunks' room, and he woke up because of the rays of sunshine that penetrated by the window. The enjoyable night, full of dreams and hopeful images, gave him a new strength, a new hope about future. He felt confident, ready to help his positive instinct.  
After he taut himself many times he decided to get up, walking quickly to the living room. What he saw left him speechless.  
«Mum? You're still there? Haven't you slept?» the son demanded observing his mother who was holding her head between her hands on the sofa. She slowly turned her face to him, with wet but smiling eyes.  
«Barely»  
Trunks approached the woman, stopping a few centimetres away from her. She got up, putting both her hands on her son's shoulders, then she breathed heavily and spoke.  
«I made a decision»


	5. Chapter 5 - I desire life

**CHAPTER 5 - I DESIRE LIFE**

Trunks looked his mother in the eyes for some seconds, praying in his heart that she had made the decision he made too, hoping that she was as reckless as the woman of the past era, the one that had consented to lend him the dragon balls. He had never doubted about the courage of his mother but maybe the age, the events and the wisdom made her lost some of that unconsciousness that he could see in the Bulma of the past.  
The warm air of the autumnal morning penetrated conceited in the window, making the curtains of the living room inflate. Suddenly a crisp red leaf settled down gently on the sofa, bringing in the light of that pale sun of September that still managed to warm people's hearts.  
Bulma sketched a smile, the same smile that shortly thereafter would've been reflected on her son's face.  
«I want to run this risk with you»  
Trunks' eyes lighted up with joy and impatience, and he immediately hugged his mother as to thank her for her encouragement and her tenacity. In his heart he knew there was still a vein of insolence, of stubbornness and mostly of adventure spirit in that woman who now was far away from the times in which she went around with Goku with a search-balls radar and a small rucksack.  
«But I'll be honest with you, dear: your father wasn't at all like the one of the other era, at the moment of his death. You knew him many years ago, always in the past. You've got to see how he was, don't expect him to be like the one you met recently»  
«I know, but I don't care. Now go and prepare yourself, don't you want to appear in front of him uncombed after so many years, if the thing I have in mind should work» the boy joked, pushing his mother towards the stairs.  
He remembered just in that moment about the first meeting between him and his father of the past era: a surly, cheeky and insolent boy with pointed hair dressed with a horrible pink shirt (Trunks had always wondered what went on on his mind to wear an outfit so inappropriate for the Saiyan's prince). Nothing to do with who he became ultimately, a proud father and a protective husband. Always surly, always cynical, but definitely a better man than many others he met in his life. Who knows how much it would take to him to make his real father, the one he was hoping so much would come back to life in some way, as the one of the past era.

When Bulma came back from the bottom, she was very beautiful. More beautiful than the sun, bandaged by a wonderful amaranth dress and long hair collected in a lateral braid. Despite the age she was still wonderful, she didn't gain weight, her legs were still tonic and slender and the few wrinkles present on her face gave her a wisdom tone that maybe she couldn't appreciate when she tried to hide them under the sophisticated make-up that she exhibited with refined sensuality. Trunks was very proud to have a woman like her as his mother, in that moment more than ever.  
«You're beautiful, mum»  
«Thank you, dear. It's good to see that this dress still fits me well! I put it the last time at the cherry trees' flowering, you were just born» she murmured with dreaming eyes, hoping to manage to make her beloved Vegeta come back.  
She didn't have great expectations in his regards, she never had them. At that time, when he was still alive, their relationship was a little more than unilateral. She loved him, she truly loved him, but she still couldn't manage to understand what he felt for her. Sure, since when little Trunks was born his attentions towards them were lightly intensified, he didn't escape again to train who knows where, he couldn't know at all about the incumbent danger of the cyborgs 17 and 18. Vegeta came home every evening to be with her, despite he wasn't a fuss guy and mostly he had never trumpeted in public nothing about their relationship. Bulma had never loved anyone in her life like she loved Vegeta, so different from anyone she met previously, so mysterious, so proud. Losing him represented for her the end of every amorous relationship, she had never tried to go out with anyone else ever again, her heart seemed to have frozen in that moment in which she looked him in the eyes for the last time. But the blue-haired woman felt different in that moment: she had a new hope that fed her soul. Nothing was already sure, but she swore she felt her own heart beating again for love, for true love.

The air was enjoyable and warm, the sun was beating on mother and son's heads while they were positioning the balls on the ground, one beside the other. The hands of both of them trembled, every second that passed they felt always more agitated, always more unsure.  
«Do you think that would really work?» the blue-haired woman asked, lifting her eyes to the sky.  
«I don't know, but we'll discover it. Do you know how to invoke its?» the son demanded, wanting to let that so important work to her mother.  
«What a question, boy. I remind you that I was the first to search the dragon balls! How many memories…» Bulma answered dreamily, remembering for some instant the golden times during when she and Goku had ventured around the world to search the balls.  
The polishes eyes of the woman let escape some sort of emotion, but she remembered that in that moment she would have to support herself and be determined in her focus. Only a doubt passed through her mind in that instant.  
«But… what do I ask him?»  
«Mmmh…» Trunks muttered putting a hand under his chin, rubbing it «I think you just have to ask that every person killed by the cyborgs in this era can come back to life. Although is true that the dragon Shenlong couldn't make people come back to life a second time, in this case it's not about the same people. We are in another era, technically he never resurrected them! Although it has passed so much time from their death, their entities should still exist»  
«There are many ifs and buts, too many thing couldn't work. We have to hope that the problems could surpass eras, it won't be easy to rub the dragon of the seven balls. Plus, there is another problem: unluckily Goku died because of natural causes, he can't be resurrected»  
«I know, I thought about it. Unfortunately, for this I don't think you could do anything, mum. I'm sorry»  
The eyes of both saddened for some seconds, taking time before booting the procedure. The colourful leaves fell at Trunks and Bulma's feet, gentle as rose's petals, creating a melting and charming show. Bulma knew for sure that she couldn't see again her best friend, she had already resigned from the moment she had assisted to his death, a few months before the arrive of the cyborgs. Watching him lying on that bed, lifeless, was one of the saddest and most painful things of her full existence.  
«Are you ready?»  
«Yes» the blue-haired woman answered putting a hand on her heart, praying in every sacred thing she knew to make sure that her wish could be realized. She waited for some other seconds, than she finally lift her hands to the sky to pronounce those fateful magic words «Appear, dragon Shenlong, and make my wish come true!»  
Black and purple clouds immediately appeared in the sky, making the ground tremble. The dragon balls, still shining intermittently always faster, at last reached a state of fixed light, that radiated towards the sky like a bolt; a show that Bulma had never forgot.  
At last a huge green and yellow dragon appeared over their heads, disturbing but at the same time powerful and magnificent.  
«It worked, mum! It worked!» Trunks screamed with tears in his eyes, hugging his mother who still couldn't believe it. Before she could even respond, a majestic voice made its way through Western city, like an immense thunder.

 _Which are your three wishes?_

Bulma and Trunks' eyes widened.  
«Three?» the blue-haired woman asked, looking at her son, who, after a moment of hesitation and thoughts, realized what had happened.  
«Sure! When Dende has become the Supreme some of the powers of Shenlong have changed, now he can make three wishes come true like Polunga!»  
Bulma smiled radiantly, then she let go a hysterical laughter.  
«Let's try, then! Shenlong! I wanna be again thirty years old!» the blue-haired woman shouted, making Trunks' mouth opening, and then he suddenly saw her rejuvenate in front of his eyes. All the expression wrinkles disappeared from the face of the not anymore elder woman. Her son remained utterly shocked and dismayed by hearing the laughter of his mother becoming even more strong.  
«Mum! But does this seem to you?»  
«I definitely couldn't let your father see me tanned that way!» she confessed, winking at him. Trunks put a hand on his temple, blushing visibly.  
«Come on, now let's move on to serious things» the boy urged her pushing her a little more forward.  
With trembling and slightly unsure voice at last the woman decided to speak, excited as she had never been since a long time.  
«We want that every victim of the cyborgs of this era would come back to life! Ah, already that you are, bring the entity of our friends right here!» Bulma declared to Shenlong, making Trunks fall from the side because of the umpteenth funny request of his mother, who had never stopped to be incredibly pretentious.  
Pause.  
A long pause that seemed endless, that lasted several instants, making mother and son always more nervous. Every second that passed tore of doubts and uncertainties Trunks and Bulma, who felt their legs trembling and becoming incredibly heavy. It was true: too many things could've gone wrong, there were so many variables at stake and getting deceived that everything would go well would've been utopian.  
The blue eyes of both of them focused majorly on the red ones of the dragon, who finally, after almost a minute, managed to make a decision.

 _Alright, I'll realize your three last wishes, I get straight away to work!_

Bulma and Trunks hugged each other again, almost bursting into tears. It was done: they would've seen again their friends, they would've hugged their beloved ones. A white and blinding light wrapped all the planet Earth in few seconds, just in the same time as the eyes of the dragon lighted up.  
Millions and millions of bright entities fell from the sky, leaning on the ground and starting to recompose; not only those in their garden, but every soul of those innocent people who were killed during the fight against the cyborgs.

 _I did as you asked me, now I have to go._

Said this, the dragon came back into the seven bright balls, which freed themselves in the air, dispersing then in the more remote angles of the planet.  
In the Capsule Corporation's garden had gathered many bright entities that slowly radiated of a thousand colours, taking increasingly a humanoid form.  
Fascinated and with the heart racing, Bulma and Trunks started to notice some of their friends being created by that explosion of lights.  
«Krillin! My God, it's really you!» the blue-haired woman screamed running near her friend, who, confused, stood up, feeling crushed by the arms of that friend he didn't see in a long time, or at least he was sure of this.  
Some instants later in front of their eyes appeared even Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Jiaozi, the Turtle Hermit, Chichi, Oolong, Puar, Yajirobei, Piccolo, the Supreme, Gohan and… the prince. All the presents, who couldn't understand anything of what had happened, started to look around disoriented, as if they didn't recognize the place in which they were.  
Bulma struggled to stand on her own legs, not stopping even for a second to watch that silhouette becoming always more real. In the same instant in which the glare of that young Vegeta met hers, she couldn't hold back a tear. A tear that ran down her face, hotter than the sun.


	6. Chapter 6 - The awakeing of the saiyan

**CHAPTER 6 - THE AWAKEING OF THE SAIYAN'S PRIDE**

The muscular well proportioned figure of the prince was one of the latest to take his complete form, an electricity sensation radiated in the Saiyan's veins, awakening him from the deep sleep in which he had been trapped. What had happened? He didn't know, the last thing he remembered was two eyes, two glacial sadistic eyes that watched him suffer from top to bottom. He remembered he had been knocked on the ground, Vegeta, powerless and dismayed by such strength. That beautiful and dangerous blonde girl had showed to be a more powerful opponent than what he thought, how was it possible that he, the prince of all Saiyans, let himself be beaten so easily?  
Vegeta closed his eyes for some seconds, reopening them to observe better what was standing in his presence. He looked at his hands and arms, there weren't signs of all that blood he remembered he had poured out that day.  
A flash light passed through his mind, like another memory. He was dead, he was almost sure they had killed him: he remembered only in that instant that sensation, it was like that time in which he had been brought back to life after Frieza had beaten him. He looked better around himself, in that moment there was no trace of the desperation and desolation that those two glacial-eyed being had left in the city, all seemed to have been brought back to its place. How much time had passed?  
He looked up and focused on the crowd, and that was the right moment in which he saw her: standing in front of him, wrapped in a dress he remembered well he had marched her many times, beautiful as he remembered her, emotive as always. A tear was streaming down her perfect face, that didn't seem changed at all. It mustn't have passed so much time after all, the prince thought. The woman ran immediately towards him, throwing her arms around his neck, bursting in a cry of joy. Strangely, he didn't dodge, but he remained petrified by the gesture of the blue-haired woman, who wasn't trying to calm down.  
«It's you! It's really you, I can't believe it!» Bulma screamed, grabbing his battle suit, looking then in his dark-pitch eyes that became all of a sudden questioning.  
«What happened?» the prince asked, stepping away slowly from the woman «the androids killed me and… but he! He seems… it can't be possible» he continued, pointing at the lilac-hair and big blue-eyes young man in front of them «how much time had passed?»

«Silence, please!» Trunks screamed, claiming the presents' attention, wanting to explain everything once. Only Gohan managed to understand the time that had passed since his death, because he was killed when Trunks was already older, he was his master and, for some verses, even his father. He was so different from the past era's Gohan, so gloomy, so combative.  
Everyone shut up immediately, turning to the violet-hair stranger, who started to explain with trembling and excited voice.  
«Almost thirty years have passed since your death» an echo of incredulous voices freed itself in the air surrounding the big garden «and things have changed. Androids have disappeared, I killed them just less than ten years ago. Now, to resurrect you I had to recover the dragon balls in another era, in which things have gone differently. I am Trunks, the son of Bulma… and Vegeta»  
Another amazed echo filled everyone's ears. The prince trembled, almost letting himself fall on the dry leaves. His suspect was truthful: he was his son. He almost struggled to recognize him, the last time he saw him he was a newborn.  
«We» the boy continued without letting to anyone time to speak «and with "we" I intend who managed to survive the cyborgs, have almost thirty years of life more than you. We're bigger, older than when you left us, apart from my mother, who found a way to return young. But you still have the age you had when you died. Said so, I have nothing else to declare except that now you can recover part of the time you lost»  
All the presents looked around, searching for signs of change that effectively weren't there compared to the last time they saw each other; but they noticed that Gohan had visibly grown up and he took a little time to explain why. Everyone of them, after have been killed, found peace in the sky's kingdom, where the concept of the flow of time didn't exist nor you could have the possibility to spy what was happening on Earth. None of them, apart from Yamcha, who was usual to frequent the Capsule Co., had got to know Trunks when he was little.  
«Boy, you have gone back in time? You changed the order of things?» the Supreme asked with visible terror, gripping Trunks for the shoulders to shake him violently.  
«Yes, I'm sorry. I made this decision and I know it could bring negative consequences, but I don't care, in that case I'll be ready to fight»  
«But you don't realize, fool! This has been a glaring mistake! Stealing the dragon balls from another era, did you go crazy? Now time is uncontrollable, there is no order any more! Time now is our enemy!»  
Everyone's eyes paused immediately on the weird green-skinned old man, who brought a hand on his temple, closing his eyes, as to meditate about a possible solution to that drama or simply to cool down his rage.  
«What do you mean by saying that time is our enemy?» the lilac-haired boy asked, unsure if he should believe the words of that weird old man. He had already accomplished several journeys in the past and nothing bad had ever happened.  
«If there was a master of time, as the scriptures tell, this could change the natural order of things» the Supreme declared, trying to remember where and when he read about that legend.  
«Tsk! Even if he exists, we would always be stronger!» the Saiyan's prince declared making a step ahead «and now shove off from here, everyone! And you, old hoodoo, don't dare to say another word!»  
The undertaking of the speech from the Saiyan's prince made all the presents shivering, included his son, who looked at him with astonished eyes. He was so different from the father he knew in the other era. So conceited, arrogant, much more gloomy. Eyes less good, mockingly voice. On the other hand his mother had warned him, he couldn't expect more than this and mostly he had been able to observe with his own eyes the first Vegeta he had known, that day in which he had arrived in the other era the first time.

In less than no time all the presents greeted each other warmly, then launching in their own old mansion. Some of them would have to rebuild everything from the beginning, some others didn't have the slightest idea of what they would've done. Trunks and Gohan greeted one another with the promise to see each other early: they were so happy to be again one next to the other. The young man considered Goku's son just like a father, he had effectively grown him up and trained him, and he could still remember on his own skin the pain for his loss during a fight against the androids. But now they were back, everyone was back and they could finally restart their life from when they left it.  
Despite the Supreme's declaration, in that moment Trunks wasn't so frightened at all. He was excited, he was on revs and no mystic time master or natural disaster could have stopped his happiness. He watched his own friends leaving the big garden in flight, all but the Saiyans' prince, who stayed under the yellowed tree in the garden together with his family.  
«Father, I agree with you. We are ready to fight against time or anything else» the lilac-haired boy asserted, turning to the prince of Saiyans, who looked at him so much intensely that he pierced him with his glare.  
«We? Tsk! Midge, don't tell me you're able to fight!» Vegeta answered acid, observed by Bulma by his side, who took word.  
«It was him who defeated the androids. He fought for years, he went to train with you… hem, with you in another era. He beat them in one shot, he became very strong. Just like his father»  
Vegeta limited himself to observe better the boy who was standing next to him, with lowered head, cheeks slightly flushed by the fact that his mother had just embarrassed him and a mysterious look. He knew that look: it was his. He was similar to him, he could reflect himself inside those eyes and all of this provoked in him a so strange sensation he wasn't even able to decipher it.  
«So you really are… my son?» the prince asked unsure, watching the boy nodding and then continuing to speak without knowing well what to say, feeling a big knot in the throat. He didn't know what it was, if commotion, frustration or even anger «the last time I saw you, you was as big as one of my hand, and now? Now you're so strong, so big. You managed to defeat the androids that I should have killed! I, the prince of Saiyans! And instead my son, a half terrestrial, killed the androids in my place! What a shame!»  
The Saiyan's rage broke loose in front of the undeterred eyes of Bulma and Trunks, who recoiled, frightened. The lilac-haired young man should have expected a so violent, so exaggerated reaction. He should have known this, he knew him well when he was none other that an unscrupulous fighter. He saw him when he let fall the plane with Bulma and little Trunks of the past inside; he was exactly the same person since than.  
«Let me see if you're really this portent!» Vegeta screamed, trying to fling a fist against the boy, who stopped him with a simple index. The Saiyan stopped, shocked, almost scared «it can't be true»  
«Father, I'm sorry. I must be honest with you, and I'll tell you everything. I trained very much during these years, I managed to surpass my limits and even your level. You can't fight against me right now. But I can help you become who you are in the era I know: one of the strongest fighters of the Universe. A Super Saiyan, like me, like you in the other era»  
Vegeta winced, brightening of his own light, trying to hit again his son, in vain. He couldn't bear it, he would never let his son give advices to him. His dignity and his pride wouldn't hold up that much.  
«Never! I'm the prince of Saiyans, I won't let a half terrestrial brat train me! It's a shame! I would have preferred to stay in hell!» his father continued to shout, freeing then himself in the air, vanishing in the cloudy sky.  
«Vegeta, wait!» Bulma screamed, trying to recall him back. She felt herself dying, she felt lost and abandoned again in that instant in which she saw him going away.  
«Don't worry, mum, in fact we should have expected he would have reacted this way. I'm going to get him»


	7. Chapter 7 - Golden destiny

**CHAPTER 7 - GOLDEN DESTINY**

Vegeta was flying quickly, holding back those heavy tears in his eyes that he would've renegade forever. How was it possible that his son had surpassed him? How could he mock him in that way? With that superiority air, with that commiseration tone.  
He had even proposed to train him. Train him! The prince of Saiyans! Ever and never he would've been trained by a half terrestrial bastard.  
He felt wounded, he felt humiliated. What did he lose in all those years? What happened to the glorious times in which everyone feared him? His slaves, his submitted trembled at the mere thought of his severe glance. Despite there had been a period in which he was second to someone, after Kakaroth's death for that heart's illness he was certainly the strongest fighter of the Universe, died gloriously in battle like only a great warrior would've done, died by the hand of an enemy stronger than him by trying to save his new population: terrestrials. But that damn boy had decided to bring him back to life, thirty years later, deleting his heroic deeds and his moment of glory. He was no one, or better, he was one among many. Moreover he had been surpassed even by his son, that son that he himself should have protected and instead had survived even without his help.  
The last time he saw him, that half terrestrial son didn't seem to be stronger than a gnats. He and that damned woman that had allowed herself to hug him and after all that time wasn't even aged. The prince remembered vividly that night, as if it had passed only one day since the last time he saw her, the last time he saw them.

«That thing keeps whining even after eating!» Vegeta grumbled impatiently, pointing at the baby cot on the side of the matrimonial bed.  
«It's normal, dear: he's still a baby» the blue-haired woman explained, sitting next to the prince on the bed «but I bet that when he'll be older he'll become strong like his father»  
«I don't think so, I won't lose time with him. He's a half terrestrial, you have seen Kakaroth's son, now that he's not there any more he thinks only about studying» the Saiyan pointed out, casting a disgusted glare to the child in the baby cot, so small yet so noisy to wake up the whole neighborhood.  
He shifted his eyes to the woman by his side, the only woman he would've accepted to have next to him during the thousands of trainings, during all the tests.  
She was the only person in that planet of goods for nothing with whom it was worth to deal with. She helped him, built him gadgets to improve, gave him food and offered him her body.  
After the premature death of his opponent, Kakaroth, he couldn't still get over it. He would've wanted to show him, he would've wanted to beat him. He had trained since he had landed in that vapid planet of marshmallows to reach the stage of Super Saiyan, he had almost done it. But he could never show it to him, Kakaroth died because of a heart illness. Sad destiny for a valorous warrior.  
He could've shown his improvement only to himself. And to that woman, that damned woman. Not even him knew why, but he wasn't interested any more in fighting, nor in killing. He just wanted to improve, he wanted to be better than Kakaroth, but that very annoying whining being was bothering his sleep. Every night.  
«Make him stop immediately, I must sleep or I won't be concentrated during the trainings!» the Saiyan commanded harshly.  
«Sleep? Are you really interested in sleep now?» the woman asked, lowering the shoulder strap of the black laced vest. Vegeta blushed and gulped noisily, remaining charmed by Bulma's incredible beauty. Every evening, since he had arrived on Earth, he couldn't resist her. He couldn't, she was like a calamity for him, his biggest distraction, his greatest terrestrial pleasure.  
«Mmmh, alright. Maybe I'll sleep later» he murmured at the blue-haired woman's ear before gripping her by her hips.

They made love. Yes, love, even if he would've never admitted it, for him joining to that woman didn't mean only satisfying his carnal needs. She had been the one, she would've always been the one. The thing he still didn't know was that it would've been the last time.  
Embraced, naked one against the other, both seemed to have reached their corner of Paradise. Their routine, their perfect tuning. At morning trainings and scientific researches, at night love, pleasure. Both of them were well, appeased and without any want to change that pleasant sing-song that repeated itself every day and every night.  
But that evening a terrible dull noise broke the rhythm of their lives, that explosion at few kilometres of distance. A strong, horrible, echoing roar. Some screams outside the window, screams of terror. The cry of the baby in the baby cot, which until that moment seemed to be extinct, started again uninterrupted.  
«What was that, Vegeta?» Bulma asked, sitting and watching her partner waking up and putting on the clothes he had put off one hour before.  
Other desperate shouts, other explosions followed the previous one.  
«I have no idea. Nothing good, I go to see» the Saiyan answered opening the window of the big red room.  
«Watch out!» the blue-haired woman screamed, taking in her arms the baby, who was crying desperately.  
«You do not move from here!»

Those were the last words said, the last word they exchanged before he left forever. Or better, for many, many years.

He continued to fly quickly, tightening his fists and grinding his teeth, screaming like a madman reliving that so real, so close memory. That brat who did nothing but crying and shouting now was stronger than him, he was a Super Saiyan. He couldn't accept it, he couldn't.  
«Dad!» Trunks screamed, peaking himself right in front of Vegeta «stop!»  
«What do you want from me!? I don't want to see you!» the prince declared, raising his voice even more «go away or I'll make you disappear by myself!»  
Trunks didn't move, observing the anger of his father growing up in front of him. Suddenly from the prince's hands started to radiate powerful energy balls, directed right against his son's body, who didn't shift of a centimetre, continuing to speak as if it was nothing.  
«I'll kill you!» Vegeta howled, swelling from fury.  
Why had he followed him? Why that disgusting half terrestrial had decided to torment him in that way?  
"Get angry, dad. Get angry more than you can" Trunks thought by himself, dodging the energy balls and addressing them in the air so he wouldn't destroy anything. That world had suffered too many hits in the past.  
«You had to let me in Hell! You had to make your business! I hate you… I…»  
A flash of golden light radiated on the Saiyan's skin like an electric discharge. Trees lifted from the ground, even clouds moved from where they were, vanishing any tentative of Trunks to preserve the nature around them. Bushes were uprooted, the pond below them seemed to become a stormy sea.  
A vortex of leaves, wind and electricity surrounded the prince of Saiyans, who emanated a light so strong to make everything which was around him golden.


	8. Chapter 8 - Wasted time

**CHAPTER 8 - WASTED TIME**

Vegeta's eyes dilated, the gloomy black petroleum irises left place to the green water colour. The dark hair in harmony with the undergrowth cleared up little by little, becoming as golden as honey.  
Fury, much fury. An inhuman strength freed from the Super Saiyan's body, and he managed to move his son from his position. Trunks smiled enthusiastic, proud, fierce and happy for the coveted conquer of the father and, once the emotion and shrubbery whirl subsided, nothing remained of the old Vegeta. He looked at his hands, flabbergasted, mirroring then himself in the water of the pond below. The mocking and bright smile lit almost more than his uncontainable aura.  
He laughed. He laughed strongly and sadistically, always stronger: he had done it. After thirty years of pause, it took only few minutes of life to become what for which he fought ardently: the legendary Super Saiyan.  
«It didn't took you a while» the son stated, transforming himself in turn. If before the two figures were similar, in that moment they seemed practically identical, two sided of the same coin. Wonderful, powerful, fierce.  
Vegeta lifted his glance on Trunks and looked at him for a very long time, reflecting himself in his perfect double, in that son who managed, even if involuntarily, to make him infuriate so much to permit him to surpass the limit. Despite the great strength he perceived in himself, he suddenly felt calmer, less angry, less distressed.  
«A great coming back to life» the prince stated, breathing heavily «I did it alone, even without your training, brat!»  
«I do not doubt it, even if as a "brat" I have to remind you that technically I'm a bit younger than you. But now come back home, please. Your wi… Bulma has been waiting for you for almost thirty years» he murmured, careful not to pronounce any more the word "wife", since in that era they had never got married.  
«Don't give me orders, sapientone brat. I'll go there, but just because I reached my first goal. The next will be to surpass you, but I need to train and relax, so be careful not to cry every night like the last time I saw you!» the father announced, mocking, before disappearing away, direct who knows where.  
Trunks smiled again. That was his father and, despite he was surly as much as the Vegeta of the other era at the first meeting, he had already given sign to be less harsh. Trunks' work wouldn't be simple at all: taming an almost indomitable beast, smoothing the hard angles of his character and making him less stubborn and "blockhead" (as his mother always said) would've been one of the hardest challenges of his life. Or at least he believed so.

Bulma, lying on the bed with a package of tissues almost empty on the bedside table, surely wouldn't have expected that he would have welcomed her with open arms, but not even that it would be unleashed such a mess. After many years she wasn't used any more to the absurd, apathetic or wrathful behaviour of the prince of Saiyans.  
"I would have preferred to stay in hell". The woman shivered at the memory of that declaration, that statement hurt her more than a stab in the chest. She took a new Kleenex and repeatedly blew her nose, hugging then the pillow still scented of laundry, wrapped in the amaranth dress she put on just to welcome the partner in his so desired coming back to life.  
Trunks had come back in the evening but had closed himself, for the first time after many years, in the Gravity Room, a little to think, a little to stay alone. Night shadows fell dense on the big round house, swallowing in the darkness West City. Bulma fell asleep, exhausted because of the previous sleepless night. She remained in the same position for hours, until a gust of fresh wind penetrated from the window, waking her immediately.  
«I was sure I have closed it» she murmured to herself, getting up to close the windows. What showed up in front of her eyes as soon as she turned left her breathless and it almost seemed to her that someone had ripped oxygen from her chest. Opposite to her was the figure of a man in the penumbra, next to the wardrobe. A man with flaming black hair and eyes dark as a night of crescent moon.  
«V… Vegeta! You came back» the blue-haired woman whispered with a faint voice. It still seemed impossible to her to see him in front of herself, in flesh and bone, after thirty years.  
The prince stayed for a moment in silence, creating an almost surreal atmosphere in the room lit only by the lampposts in the courtyard.  
«What made you change your mind?» the scientist asked, pushing herself involuntarily nearer him. Gravity seemed to be extinct.  
«Too many questions, woman» the Saiyan cut shortly, attracted like a magnet towards the thin boy of the terrestrial.  
They were close, again. Only an invisible thread separated the two magnetically related bodies, nothing seemed to have changed since that night in which Vegeta died. The woman put both of her hands on the Saiyan's chest, who answered to the gesture by putting his over hers; she felt herself warm up immediately both in body and heart, letting a tear slip on her cheek, blocked then by the inch of her partner.  
«I thought I'd never see you again» Bulma sighed, letting herself be sweetly caressed by that man that only she had the privilege to see in reality how much he wasn't rough and petty like he showed in public «I had resigned myself. Then yesterday Trunks came and…»  
«I came back, now stop talking» the man intimated her, finally bringing his face near the blue-haired woman's one, kissing her like he would have done many years ago.

Thirty years. Almost thirty years had passed since their last kiss, since the last time they made love.  
They didn't waste time any more, tasting every single instant of that night. They rediscovered themselves, they found themselves again. Maybe changed, maybe, in reality, not so different or maybe simply even more desirous to be joined. It was exactly like coming back to that distant night and for both it wouldn't be so difficult to recover the wasted time. Both of them had the same age as then because of Bulma's wish to become young again. But she had lived so much terror and so much sadness that the Saiyan's prince couldn't have even imagined.  
Instead, the latter had lost his son's growth, and he could never get it back. He would have never admitted, ever and never, that below he would have really desired to educate Trunks personally, train him and make sure that he'd became one of the strongest warriors in the universe, and for this he was so furious by the fact that he had already become one. His boy had done it, but without him, and he was deeply and secretly jealous of this.  
But he didn't think about it in that moment, that night would have been too important and too intimate to be crossed by negative thoughts, for both of them.

«Do you think it's all true?» Bulma asked to the prince, who was lying on the bed with shut eyes and his woman supported against his bare chest.  
«What?»  
«The story of the time the Supreme has told us. Do you think we're in danger?»  
The prince opened his eyes, glancing questioningly at Bulma.  
«And what do I know? However it doesn't scare me, I don't mind it. For now it doesn't seem to me that something has changed» Vegeta cut shortly, closing again his eyes, everything that interested him was relaxing and enjoying that sensation of peace and human calmness. He didn't remember anything about the hell, probably his memory had been reset once he arrived there and newly reset when he had left that horrible place full of people even more ignoble than him.  
The woman crouched herself more comfortably on the prince's chest, however remaining very worried «I don't know, but I have a bad presentiment.»

The days which followed that night were scanned in perfect quietness: Bulma passed hours in her laboratory and Vegeta trained, sometimes alone, sometimes with Trunks. Despite the son had convinced the father to train together with him, they didn't talk much and mostly they never fought directly. They would just stop in the Gravity Room together, but for the young Saiyan that was enough, at least for the moment he in fact considered it a great conquer.  
But that night, during dinner, Bulma seemed weird, almost worried.  
«Mum, is everything alright?» the boy asked, glancing an uncertain look to his mother, catching even the attention of his father, who turned to the woman to observe her better, continuing to bring to his mouth industrial quantities of rice patties. It was so strange for the three of them to find themselves all around a table, like a normal family. Trunks had never felt such a sensation, not in that era at least. Despite many days had passed since the prince's come back to life, the son still didn't get used to that pleasant everyday life and was sure that neither the blue-haired woman had ever taken that for granted in those weeks.  
«To be honest…» Bulma murmured, leaving the two Saiyans outstanding before continuing to speak «I'd have something to propose to you»  
Both the men stopped eating, always more curious about the woman's bizarre behaviour, and she restarted to speak almost immediately.  
«I've almost finished the second time machine and I have to ask you a favour: come back to the era in which you took the balls and deliver them to Vegeta»  
The prince spit all the rice he had in his mouth, looking the partner, shocked, becoming purple in the face and starting to scream «What are you saying?!»  
Even Trunks seemed rather thrilled by his mother's singular request, without falling in wrathful attitudes typical of the Saiyan's prince.  
«I'm saying that, so far as strange thing would start to happen and we'd need help, we could call him to fight by our side too!»  
«Don't even talk about it! We're already pretty strong and we don't need a clone of mine» Vegeta stated, visibly annoyed and wounded in his pride by the woman, who seemed to have low trust in their capacities.  
He wouldn't have resigned at the idea that his stronger version would've helped him, despite he was definitely curious to discover how would his power have become with the passing years. Paradoxically, in fact, the past Vegeta would've been older than the future one, because the latter had been dead for thirty years, while for the other time hadn't stopped at all.  
Plus, the Saiyan's prince stopped to think about the fact that, if he wouldn't have died, in the actual era he would've had more than sixty years. He shivered at the thought of imagining himself so old, but he didn't let that ridiculous thought transpire at all.  
«We have already played too much with time, I believe we'll only worsen the things» Trunks ended, putting a hand over the small and cold one of his mother. She looked at him with a pleading air, showing him to be really worried.  
«It's better to keep it as our last resort, it doesn't cost anything to us to have an extra security. If you don't want to come back, then I'll do it by myself»  
Both the Saiyans thought about the woman's choice, who seemed more determined than ever in her intent. Stubborner than a mule, the blue-haired woman seemed to be the perfect partner for the irascible point-haired Saiyan, and now both of them realized it. The last days, but mostly the last nights, had been really pleasant for that bizarre couple and the woman surely didn't want to lose again that unexpected serenity. She would've done anything to make that peace last forever and she would've fought with all her strength and capacities to keep the situation as it was.  
«Fine, I'll go. But there's a problem: we couldn't advise them if there will be problems. We wouldn't do it in ti»  
«Error!» Bulma interrupted him, getting up and slamming her hands on the table, stopping the son's statement, making him jump on his chair. She smiled and blinked to both the Saiyans, getting away quickly from the room to reach the laboratory.  
The two remained astonished as they watched her come back with two big rectangular and plain objects similar to two handhelds.  
«These» the woman explained, holding out to father and son one of the two gadgets «are two new videophones built by me during these days. They not only work as normal phones, but the most surprising thing is that they're able to get in touch at a distance of thousands of kilometres and, if everything works as it should, even in different dimensions. They're two transceivers without limits!»  
Vegeta took the object in his hands, touching it and trying to understand his operation. He was surprised, very surprised of how the woman had become a real portent during the years. If she was already amazing thirty years before, in that moment she seemed to him the galaxies' most intelligent being.  
«It's incredible, mum. You're a genius! How does it work?»  
The mother, excited to show her last incredible invention, pushed the grey button over the screen, inviting the two to do the same with the other handheld, and illustrated: «You switch it on this way, then it appears to you a principal menu where you can choose the type of transmission: video call, simple call, message, message with attachment, etcetera etcetera. By selecting video call a phonebook appears to you, where I've already added in both of them some useful contacts if you want to use it as a phone, but to call the other transceiver you just have to select "call twin", which's the other device. It's very easy!»  
«You've really thought about everything» the young boy stated, smiling and then finally restarting to eat like a good Saiyan.  
«I'm the best scientist of the planet!» the woman concluded, blinking at him, observed by the partner who couldn't help but smile beneath his moustache in turn, being very careful not to be noticed.  
That woman would've never stopped to surprise him, for better or for worse.


	9. Chapter 9 - Dangerous presents

p style="text-align: center;"strongCHAPTER 9: DANGEROUS PRESENTS/strong/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="text-align: left;"br /The morning following his mother's requests, young Trunks was ready to leave again for the other dimension, after less than a month from the previous mission. The air was fresh and sparkling, a pleasurable wind was ruffling his lilac hair, creating a perfect contrast with the yellow leaves that were leaving their branches to reach the /«Are you ready, dear?» Bulma murmured, handing him the rucksack containing the capsule with the time machine and the special phone destined to the other /Vegeta was on the sidelines, leaning against a tree's trunk like he was used to do, curious about the operation of that time machine that he had never had the chance to /He didn't fully agree about knowing a stronger exact photocopy of himself, but however he decided to let the son leave, anyway more than convinced that their help wouldn't be helpful at /«I'm ready, I'm happy to come back there and give them the good news. Little Trunks will be enthusiastic» the young Saiyan said, jumping in the machine only after having given a kiss on his mother's /«I'm sure about it! Remember to call us as soon as you arrive»br /«Sure» Trunks screamed, pressing the button to close the glass' doom, operating then the time machine which disappeared almost immediately between the /br /As he had exactly imagined, his arrive in the other dimension had been everything but not wanted: little Trunks hadn't lost time to jump in his arms, just like the young mother had been moved like she was used to do at every come back of his. Even the past era's father seemed happy to see him again and, unlike future's Vegeta, this seemed to him mild like a little lamb. His eyes were softer and even his way of doing seemed much more compliant. Trunks knew well that he should be a bit patient to make sure that his real father would become better; plus, the course of events would've never been the same again and there would've been the risk that future's Vegeta would've developed an even different character from the one of the era in which he was, everything would have depended on how things would've gone from that moment /All the family remained pleasantly surprised to know that the balls had worked and that everything had gone well. Trunks didn't lose time to explain them that, as soon as the balls would've been active again, he'd have immediately precipitated to look for them to bring them back, even if it would've still taken eleven /«So you're telling me that I immediately made it to transform myself?» the prince asked with a mocking smile, rather proud of the conquer obtained by himself in the other /«Yes, I knew you would have done it. Even if to do so you told me you hate me» the young Saiyan admitted with a bitter taste, watching then his father's cheeks blushing lightly. He could've never managed to decipher that embarrassment, he would've never discovered if it was shame, guilt or simply boredom for the girlish reaction of the /«Who knows how happy is future Bulma to have met again her partner. Don't you think it's a very romantic story, dear?» the woman intruded, glancing a honeyed look at the husband, who became even redder in the /«Yes, she's very happy. Listen, I know you've already done a lot for us, but I'd need another favour»br /The family shut up immediately at the sound of the boy's request, composing itself from all the reaction had a few moments before. Mostly Vegeta seemed suddenly troubled by the boy's request, suspicious that under all that happiness that he was showing for the reuniting with the two dead friends, something had gone /«Tell us everything, dear» the blue-haired woman answered, lighting a cigarette like she was used to do in nervousness or curiosity /Trunks took in his hands the blue rucksack containing the objects he carried with him from the future, sighing noisily before explaining the motive for which he was /«I brought you two presents» he announced, pleased, opening the zip, a bit hampered by little Trunks' curiosity, because the child was trying to spy what was in the rucksack. He rummaged in it noisily, looking for that little capsule containing an object of such great /«Two presents! How beautiful, how beautiful! What are they?»br /«Don't be so impatient, Trunks» Vegeta admonished him severely, taking the child by his shirt and putting him on the sofa by his side. The boy snorted, crossing his arms, observed by the frowning look of his /«The first is a time machine. For every eventuality I could use it and, mum, you could study it in order to reproduce it»br /Bulma's eyes widened and sparkled of a radiant light; surely the beautiful scientist would've never expected such a present, she had often tried to build a time machine but, probably, times weren't still mature to do so. The young man placed on the glass table the little capsule containing the nacelle, starting again then to rummage in the /«And the other present is a special phone that allows to communicate even between two different eras, so we can keep in touch!» big Trunks explained carefully, listened by all the /«Oh, dear! It's an amazing thing!» Bulma screamed excited, hugging the boy, who held her out the device, explaining in every detail the /She didn't take long to understand how to make that strange instrument work, exactly as expected from future Bulma. The latter, in fact, had never doubted of the insight and intelligence of /«So now we can video call between eras?! How beautiful! I'm curious to know how you've aged, mum!» the little child shouted joyously, warned then by his mother, who was rather scared to see herself /«Ehm… in reality mum chose to use one of the three wishes to return back to when she was thirty years old. So technically she's even younger than you» Trunks murmured, rather amused by the reaction of that woman who, despite it wasn't biologically true, he could call "mum". Bulma felt equally (if not more) scared to see herself some years younger, fearing that that tactless monkey which was her husband could evidence the /She even arrived to think to invoke the dragon Shenlong to ask him the same thing once she'd have had the balls again, but she convinced herself that, maybe, disturbing the dragon only for such a futile motive wouldn't have been correct, so she decided to wait to have a much more important wish to take advantage of /«You talked about favours, but for now it seems to me that you are the one who did favours to us» Vegeta stated sourly, stopping his wife ravings and showing his particular way to say "thank you".br /Trunks recomposed himself immediately, glancing a worried and mysterious look to his father. A few seconds passed before the boy would told all of his mother's concerns and everything that had happened immediately after he had made his friends come back to /br /«So, that's all… would you be willing to help us if there'd be the need?» the lilac-haired boy asked, showing himself rather modest about his mother's request. He hoped there would have never been the chance, in his /Vegeta took in his hands the little capsule on the table, turning it around nervously between his fingers, glancing then a severe look at the son. Hearing about the legend of the time master, holy scriptures, possible dangers or damages caused at the temporal line provoked in him not a little curiosity; as easily predictable he wasn't scared at all and he wasn't either worried at the idea that all of the Supreme's ravings on the future were /«You should know how to drive alone, now» the prince croaked, almost ominously «but I'm always ready to fight to improve myself. I'm curious to see that "time master", assuming it exists»br /Trunks smiled, showing himself particularly grateful towards his father. Mostly, he felt a lot lifted up at the idea of reassuring his mother and so having a reserve card in case of a real threatening – Thank you, really, dad. Now there's nothing left but trying the phone!br /«Wooow!» the little one screamed, starting to jump on the sofa, inviting then his mother to do the /«You said I should press "video call" and then "call twin", don't you? Let's try» Bulma asked, positioning herself on the sofa, surrounded by the two Trunkses and a rather displeased /Several seconds and several rings passed before on the other side of the dimensions an answer was given, but as soon as Mirai Bulma pressed the button "answer", on both the screens the interlocutors' faces appeared /«It works! It works! I'm a damn genius!» future Bulma shouted, jumping on the beige sofa flanked by a bored Mirai Vegeta, perfectly in the same position and with the same air of present Vegeta «God, Vegeta. You're exactly the same!»br /«Of course, I'm only five years older than him, considering that I was dead at Trunks' birth» the present prince commented, looking then the younger son becoming serious at the thought that he could have grown up without his adored /«It's incredible, past Vegeta is older than the future one. Paradoxical!» the future woman with long blue hair stated, observing again her partner and the one of the other era, shifting then her glare on little Trunks «Look! It seemed yesterday that you was like that, dear!» she continued, turning to her older son, who smiled at the woman on the other side of the /«Do we stop with these fusses?!» future Vegeta murmured sourly, crossing his arms on his chest, imitated by the other prince, who agreed with his /«Yes, well said»br /Both Bulmas and Trunkses burst in an uproariously /«You're perfectly identical!» the (truly) young Bulma commented, bringing a hand on her forehead and laughing again at that somewhat bizarre /br /After a short but very funny chat between the two families (accompanied by the grunts of the two intolerant Vegetas), finally older Trunks managed to stop the conversation and make the two woman say goodbye to each other, while they had started to talk about science and technology. Once attached the receiver, the hilarity diminished slowly, leaving place only to the immense gratefulness from Bulma to have given her the possibility to study future /«I think I have to come back home, at this point»br /Little Trunks got up immediately in turn, gripping the older one by his suit's trousers, starting then to pull him with a vehement /«No! No! Must you go already?»br /«Yes, Trunks. Why don't you stay for dinner? It's a pleasure to have you here, isn't it, dear?» Bulma added smiling, glancing towards Vegeta, who had turned to look better at the scene. The man grunted as a sign of approval, turning back only not to show the redness on his /The future boy brought a hand on the back of his head, disoriented and unsure, accepting then his mother /«Alright, but after the dinner I must go away immediately, because… well… I'd have a date!»br /«WHAT?!» Bulma and little Trunks screamed, starting the interrogation that would have lasted until the departure if only it wasn't for Vegeta, who ran to help the very embarrassed older son, scolding the wife and accusing her to be an "unbearable nosy". But, by doing so, he took the attentions to him, starting one of the usual marital bickerings./p  
p style="text-align: left;"br /br /«So now you go to the cinema?» the blue-haired woman asked, arranging her son's tuft and then the collar of his leather jacket, almost more excited than the boy /«Yes, but don't tell mum. I mean, future Bulma. I think she'll start to make too many questions and that's only the first date, do you understand?» br /«I promise! Good luck, dear!»br /Trunks smiled, ruffling the younger's hair, who popped him a high five by flying until he could touch the older look-alike's hand. Even his father, moody as usual, blinked at him, gesture followed by an imperceptible "tsk". He didn't mind at all that his young future son had success with girls, even if he would've never wanted that this would brought away time for precious trainings. He looked then at his younger son, blessing the fact that that day to him was still far away and he could have enjoyed afternoon's trainings for a long time /«Talk to you soon! Now we can keep in touch» older Trunks concluded, jumping inside the nacelle followed by the younger's shouts, who greeted him until he disappeared in the blue sky of the starry night./p  
p style="text-align: left;"br /He landed some isolated away from the future Capsule Corporation, being careful not to make himself notice by the passers. He had specially inserted the place coordinates wrong so he wouldn't be discovered by his mother. He put the nacelle in the capsule, starting to fly towards the centre, glancing at the clock: he was already five minutes /As soon as he placed his feet on the back of the cinema he opened another capsule containing a sporty machine with a very expensive air, parking it then in front of the building. /Kira, the girl with whom he had the date, was already standing next to the /«Sorry for the delay, I've been finding traffic!» Trunks said, approaching the wonderful raven-haired woman. She was amazing and very provocative, she didn't give much the impression of the serious girl he was looking for, but he decided to go over the appearences. He had met her on a social network a few days before and, attracted by her beautiful dark eyes, found the courage to ask her to go /«Don't worry, dear. The advertising hasn't even started!» Kira answered, giving him a kiss on the cheek to greet him, invading him completely with her roses scent and smearing lightly his cheek with the cherry lipstick «What a cool car, so the things they say about you are true»br /Trunks gave her a crooked look, putting then a hand over her shoulder to walk her /"Another girl interested on me only for the money. Yet another" he thought, deluded by the first approach Kira gave to him. In many years he had never managed to find a real girlfriend, a serious girl that loved him truly for who he really was, a girl to whom he could have told all his secrets, his fears, his past. A person with whom he wouldn't have to hide in a machine, but who he could have brought in flight on the highest summits to watch the /That wasn't only for the girls, but for friends too: he didn't have any, or at least not true ones. He went round with a group of guys met at the high school, but he often found himself bored by the same speeches about sport, models and all that frivolous things. He had often asked himself if androids had spared on purpose only the worst people, sacrificing all the good /With complete disappointment from him, they entered in the room five minutes later, after the girl had chosen the most boring and sickly sweet film of the whole multiplex. He decided he would have enjoyed the evening, or better the post evening, without letting himself be caught by discouragement. He was already perfectly conscious of the fact that it would have taken less than a half promise of a ride by car to take her in a secluded place; on the other hand, even a serious fighter like him had some /The dark-haired girl didn't even wait the end of the head titles to lean on his shoulder, and he let her approach absently, happy to lose that horrendous cinematic film. He tried without many compliments a close approach that went well, but a film editing mistake made the two guys diver their attention from the fusses very soon, leaving them somewhat /The film had like rewound on itself, sending the scenes backwards until it burned completely under the public's astonished /«We're sorry for the discomfort, we immediately try to resolve the problem» the operators announced by the speakers. The annoyed people's vociferate became suddenly higher in /«What do you think has happened?» Kira asked, unhappy by the fact that they lit up the light in the room, ruining the romantic atmosphere that had been /«I have no idea, it's very strange» Trunks commented, leaning more comfortably at the armchair's /In his heart he hoped that the insiders didn't solve the problem, so he could get out of that place and pass to his "post evening" more quickly as possible, but the speeches of the two girls sit in front of them made him so curious that he didn't want to leave at /«A friend of mine who was in the other room to watch another film says that has happened the same thing!» the blonde said, putting then the phone in the /Trunks winced and pulled up his sweatshirt sleeve till the elbow, focusing immediately the clock on the wrist. In that exact instant it felt like someone had just gave him a fist at the stomach /br /em22.15.56/embr /em22.15.55/embr /em22.15.54/embr /em22.15.53/em/p 


	10. Chapter 10 - Backbeat

**CHAPTHER 10 - BACKBEAT**

 _22.15.52_  
 _22.15.51_  
 _22.15.50_

Trunks widened his eyes and felt his heart exploding in his chest. He suddenly turned his head to look at the hands of the wristwatch of a man next to him: they flowed counterclockwise.  
«What's wrong, dear? You're pale» Kira asked, putting a hand on his leg. Trunks winced, suddenly getting up, looked by the people around him «Can I know what's happening to you?»  
«I'm sorry, I must go. I remembered a very important commitment! I'll write you» the lilac-haired boy stuttered frantically, running towards the exit, jumping over the audience's legs, careless about the hysterical screams of the testily girl, furious to have just been dumped during a date.  
Once out of the cinema he started to fly faster than he could towards home, looking around himself, searching clues and checking assiduously the clock to control the time flowing, who continued to tick backwards.  
He landed after very few minutes directly in the living room, not minding the fact that he had almost broken the door.  
«Dear, did you come back? I didn't hear you coming by time machine. What's that hur…»  
«Mum! Look at the clock in the kitchen! Fast!» Trunks ordered her, dragging the woman by an arm towards the adjacent local. She widened her eyes to look better.

 _22.14.33_  
 _22.14.34_  
 _22.14.35_

«What's up? What's wrong with the clock?» the woman asked astonished, looking then at the pale face of her son, suddenly reached by Vegeta.  
«Why the hell are you screaming?» the man grunted, crossing his arms on his chest. Probably he fell asleep on the couch after a long day of training.  
Trunks looked again at his wristwatch: it was right. He couldn't believe it, he thought he had imagined everything, maybe it was really like that. He was tired, he had just passed through eras and probably the jet-lag should have played a bad joke on him.  
«Well» his father summoned him, shaking him by an arm. Without thinking twice the boy untangled himself, running towards the living room to turn on the TV on the news, followed by his parents, always more shocked by their son's behaviour, who was determined to assure himself it had only been his imagination.  
The script "extraordinary edition" was flashing insistently on the screen and the news bulletin man seemed rather agitated while announcing the news.

 _It could have been an error of the internet system or the satellite, or simply a joke of some hacker infiltrated in the clocks system, but that doesn't explain the rewind of the films on TV and in the cinema and even the malfunction of the analog clocks. Scientists and technicians all over the world are working to establish which have been the causes of…_

«What the hell they're talking about?» Vegeta yelled, pulling once again his son.  
He closed his eyes, desperate: it hadn't been just a dream. It had really happened, the time had really gone backwards for some minutes.  
«It's what I'm trying to tell you! I was at the cinema and…»  
«What were you doing at the cinema? I thought you were…»  
«It's not important, mum!» Trunks screamed in a threatening voice at his mother, who shut up immediately «I was at the cinema and the film has rewind until it burnt, it didn't happen just in my hall. I checked my watch and the one of a sir: seconds were going backwards!»  
Bulma let herself fall on the sofa, bringing a hand on her forehead, shaking her head «It can't be»  
«I swear to you, it continued to retreat for almost two minutes, only now it returned normal!» Trunks declared, trying not to surrender. Vegeta was speechless, silent, disarmed. He also let himself fall on the couch, glaring perplexed to his son.  
«It is surely not a coincidence» Bulma sentenced, trying to light up a cigarette despite her cold and trembling hands. The woman's long hair was collected in an uncombed ponytail and a tuft fell on her shiny eyes. Maybe that hoodoo of the Supreme was right, maybe her son had really upset the temporal line by bringing back to life everyone with the spheres of the other era, or it was even fault of the last time travel to deliver the other nacelle and the phones.  
«Obviously that's not a casuality: there's no hacker who can bring back analog clocks' hands» Trunks stated, checking obsessively his wristwatch.  
«And this is not even the last time it will happen! I have a horrible presentiment»  
«Don't be catastrophists, it has just happened for a few minutes!» Vegeta snorted, trying to loosen the tension with his not at all reassuring tone.  
Bulma and Trunks looked him wrong, trying to understand if it was just fake superficiality, pure unconsciousness or an attempt to quiet his family.  
«Don't you understand? It's very dangerous! If the time would go backwards it would be a catastrophe! Even if I'd like to rejuvenate again»  
«Mum!» Trunks warned her, hiding a small and naive smile, distracted then by a noise coming from the door, which was thrown open in bad way.  
The imagine that presented itself in front of the family's eyes was everything but pleasurable: the Supreme and Piccolo entered in fast steps in the house, screaming like crazy people. The second was trying to stop the elderly wise, unsuccessfully.

«FOOLS! I told you so! I warned you! Let me go!» he protested, writhing from the younger Namekian grip «This is a danger sign! We're all in serious danger!»  
Bulma brought her hands next to her mouth, getting up immediately from the sofa to place herself behind her partner, scared by the fact that they could hurt them.  
«I don't know what to say» Trunks admitted, more embarrassed than ever.  
«You don't have to say anything! Now there's nothing you can do any more! You're an irresponsible!» the Supreme accused, trying to throw the stick on Trunks' head, stopped by Vegeta's big hand.  
Everyone shut up immediately, even the Supreme. Trunks, shocked, looked deeply in his father's eyes, almost bewildered by that saving gesture. Not that he needed it, surely an old man's beating wouldn't have hurt him, but that protective action coming from his father created in him very strong emotions.  
«Listen, green face, don't take it long. I reckon you that the irresponsible has brought back to life everyone, in addiction to you. Show gratefulness, otherwise it won't take us long to send you back to where you were before. Now, instead of wandering, try to tell us what's the real danger» the prince murmured with a particularly calm tone.  
The Supreme shivered. He had never liked Vegeta and he couldn't understand why Bulma had chosen to start a family with that surly Saiyan, giving also birth to a son. The son who, despite saving everyone, had also put all of them in danger.  
Trunks, for his part, despite the abrupt ways of his father, felt relieved by the gratefulness he was showing towards him.  
Even Piccolo remained surprised by Vegeta's gesture and then invited everyone to keep calm. In the room you could hear only the voice of the man who was announcing the news at the TV, all focused on what had happened before.  
«It's better to try and find a solution, at that point» Piccolo said turned to Briefs family.  
«There's none! There's no solution!» the Supreme shouted again, shut then up by the severe glare of the younger Namekian.  
«If there's a problem, there should also be a solution. If there's no solution it means there's no problem!» Vegeta explained, showing to be not only surly but also wise, taking the remote to change canal, unnerved by journalists' panic, resigned then at the fact that the only canal free from journalists was transmitting an old soap opera.  
The elderly wise scratched his chin, looking for an answer he couldn't find and, sometimes, he threw looks of contempt towards that lilac-hair young man, so mortified that he didn't say a word any more.

 _«Dear, you know I have never wanted anyone but you. I don't care about him!»_  
 _«That's not what you showed, Jenny»_  
 _«Don't believe to what they yeht tahw ot eveileb t'nod»_  
 _«ynneJ, dewohs ouy tahw…»_

«What the hell are they saying in this soap opera!?» Bulma asked, turning to the TV to turn it off, then whitening for what appeared in front of her eyes.  
«It's like at the cinema! It's happening again!» Trunks screamed, pointing at the images which where going backwards on TV and, changing canal, he noticed that the journalists were giving informations normally.  
«Why do they speak right?» Vegeta asked impatiently, looking at the clock hands moving counterclockwise. He rubbed his eyes, as if to ascertain he was seeing well.  
«They aren't registered! They're in direct connection, while the film is a registration, it can rewind» Trunks hypothesized bringing back the canal on the soap, where the characters continued to move and talk backwards in a very creepy way.  
«Time's going backwards! What do we do!? What can we do?» the Supreme shouted, panicking.  
Without having the time to answer, Vegeta turned to himself looking at the screen, scared. The images were streaming always faster, time was streaming more rapidly as well as backwards. Almost immediately on the screen appeared the script "Suspension of the transmission". Trunks checked again his wristwatch, falling in a catatonic state «It goes always faster!»  
From the city you could heard screams of terror and agitation, which reminded Vegeta of his last moments of life thirty years before. It was as if it was happening again. An irreverent voice, suddenly, stopped the barm inside the Capsule Corporation.  
«Guys, do you hear me? Guys!»  
Everyone turned their head upwards, deafened by the noise they'd just heard. It seemed almost an hallucination. Everyone recognized that tone, nobody excluded.  
«But that voice…» Bulma murmured, crossing her hands at the height of her heart.  
Vegeta fell on his knees almost numb, heart racing, reddened eyes.  
«It can't be possible…»


End file.
